HASTENING- TO BE RICH

Tuapeka Times, Volume III, Issue 178, 6 July 1871, Page 7

HASTENING- TO BE RICH

A sermon on the above subject was delivered in the Pitt-street Wesleyan Chapel, Auckland, recently by the Rev. J. Cosh. He selected as his text, Psalm chap, xii., verse 10, latter clause — " If riches increase, set not your heart upon them." Referring to the reverend gentleman's discourse, the "Auckland Weekly News" says : —

Sermons are not usually regarded as affording legitimate themes for newspaper comment ; but we cannot withhold comment on the Rev. Mr. Cosh's manly denunciation of the immortal tendency of the present system of mining speculations. It is often charged against clergymen that they preach over the heads of their hearers and never touch the things of daily life. The Rev. Mr. Cosh aimed direct at his hearers, and grappled with the subject at present uppermost in all men's minds. Perhaps in all the congregation listening to him there were not a dozen who were not interested more or less in scrip, and in tho rising and falling of the market ; and many a one there was who, if the preacher had taken another subject, would have simply left him to his speculations, and mentally sauntered down to ' Somerville's Corner." There cannot be a doubt that, great as will be the benefit to the country from the present production of gold, socially and morally evil is being done to the community. Practices are habitually resorted to that are sapping the foundations of common honesty, and the effects of which will not rapidly pass away. There is one feature in the present thirst for scrip that is being very generally remarked, and on which the statements of the preacher will be very generally appreciated by every tradesman in the c'ty. "He expressed the opinion that those who borrowed the money of others or neglected or delayed to pay their tradesmen's bills, in order to provide money for investment in scrip, were little better than common thieves." It is very well known that this is the common form in which the facts of the present state of the mining interests manifest themselves. The enormous returns from the Caledonian claim alone, distributed as they are known to be, directly, or through the Thames Goldmining Company, among at least a thousandj shareholders, might be supposed sufficient to produce a great revival of trade, and to make the meeting of liabilities a ruling feature in business. And yet it is universally a subject of complaint that engagements are more irregularly kept than heretofore, and that money which should go to pay tradesmen's bills is sunk instead in gambling transactions in scrip. Of course from this there will be an awakening by-and-by, and abundant regrets when debt will be superadded to the pains of money lost ; and most of those who are acting now in a manner that cannot be regarded as other than dishonest will become their own tormentors. The scrip market, as at present conducted, is really gambling pure and simple, with all the usual pro portion of sharpers and flats, knaves and fools ; and it does not require a prophet to see that the present prevalence of dabbling in scrip, and familiarity with the ruses which are unblushingly practised in raising and depressing the value of particular stocks, cannot fail to have a lasting effect on the principles of the community.